


When I am lost, On broken streets

by Linisen



Series: BINGO for the 18+ On Ice Discord Server [4]
Category: Yuri!!! on Ice (Anime)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Ballet, Ballet, Ballet Dancer Katsuki Yuuri, Ballet Dancer Victor Nikiforov, Dorks in Love, Explicit Sexual Content, Falling In Love, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Mutual Pining, Paris (City), Rivals, Smut, but not really
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-24
Updated: 2019-10-28
Packaged: 2020-10-27 15:56:58
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 18,625
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20763008
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Linisen/pseuds/Linisen
Summary: “I’m going to be completely honest with you,” Victor says, and Yuuri feels his heart drop to the pit of his stomach because nothing good ever followed that sentence. The room suddenly feels very cold. “I want to dance with you.”“What?” The word rushes out of Yuuri as he turns in shock, because surely Victor can’t have just said what Yuuri thinks he said. Victor looks down at him, too close, and Yuuri’s heart stops. He’s so incredibly beautiful, even more so up close. Long lashes that fan over high cheekbones, silver hair perfectly styled, eyes bluer than the ocean outside the coast of Hasetsu. Lips made for kissing.Shit, Yuuri don’t think about kissing.or: Victor is losing his love for dance as he feels suppressed under his director's hard rules and with his dance partner Diana moving closer to retirement with out anyone to fill her place. A video of a pair of young dancers doing one of Victor and Diana's pieces emerges and has Victor intrigued. Mesmerised by the ballerina Victor goes to see him in the lead for Sleeping Beauty.It's a night that changes both of their lives.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hi and welcome to my fourth piece for the 18+ on Ice Discord server event ‘BINGO’.  
The event contains of each participant getting a bingo card and then create as much content as they want for the prompts on it. My goal is to make a fic for all 25 squares in the card and you can find the rest of my fics for the event [here](https://archiveofourown.org/series/1482800) and for all for all of the participants at this [collection](https://archiveofourown.org/collections/18OI_Bingober_2019). A huge thank you to [Bearixt](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bearixt/pseuds/Bearixt) for setting this up. Coming up with all the ideas have been so much fun, and it’s been great brainstorming them in the server with all you lovely people there. I adore all of you. 
> 
> The prompt that inspired this piece was 'Rivals' and I must admit that this isn't really a rivals fic, even if the expression is thrown around there. We were free to interpret the prompts and this is what happened. I've wanted to write a dance fic for a while since I do dance but it's taken me a while to find the voice for this. I've also learned that I know how to say a lot of ballet terms but have no idea how to spell them, haha. 
> 
> If you love YOI and you’re looking for an amazing place to hang out with, with some amazingly kind, warm and funny people you’re welcome to join the server by following this [link](https://discord.gg/TYMxcAB)
> 
> Thank you as always to the lovely [takeitoffhemmo](https://archiveofourown.org/users/takeitoffhemmo) for the beta. If you enjoy Ballet AU's you can go check out her fic 'Summer Love'.
> 
> This fic will updates every Tuesday, I hope you enjoy.

**Diana the Ballet Princess**

_ 21.47 _

Have you seen this yet? 

[link]

Call me immediately after! 

Also, Lilia texted and asked us to come in at eight tomorrow :(

Victor sighs, just like he imagines Diana’s doing on her own couch three blocks away. Tomorrow was supposed to be their only morning this week were they where going to get to sleep in, and now it seems that small luxury has been taken from them by their director. Victor shifts on the couch, arranging himself in a more comfortable position before he clicks the link. Since Diana sent it, it could be anything. A cute dog video, a femenist analysis of Dirty Dancing or a recipe for crepes. It’s one of the reasons he loves her so, like a sister not by blood but by choice. The link opens, directing him to the YouTube app. The still frame shows a dance studio, a slightly blurry picture of two men in the middle of it. 

_ “Alexi Ivanov and Yuuri Katsuki dancing ‘The final’ from ‘Ten Victories, one Surrender’”  _ the title reads, and Victor furrows his brows. It’s one of his and Diana’s most praised pas de deux through their career, choreographed by the dance company's director Lilia Baranovskya. It’s known to be difficult, both in presentation and technique, and Victor can’t remember seeing anyone attempting to do it. He hasn’t been out looking for videos of other dancers doing it either, but this has him intrigued, especially since Diana was the one who sent it to him. His curiosity grows, and he clicks on the video and enlarges the screen. 

It’s obviously a phone camera recording, the one holding it wobbling slightly as they settle down. Other dancers are moving around the room but seem to be clearing the dancefloor for two male dancers. This must be Alexi and Yuuri then. The taller one looks european, probably Russian, with cendré hair and a tall build, not much muscle. Victor can immediately see that he has a good form, if a little stiff. Victor can only assume he’ll be performing Victor’s part of the duet with the height difference to the other dancer. Next to him stands a shorter man, ink black hair and wide brown eyes, presumably of asian descent. He fidgets slightly as they wait, but as soon as they step into position his demeanor changes. His neck englogating, shoulders relaxed, form excellent. Wow. Victor sits up slightly, eyes glued to the shorter man, Yuuri. 

The music starts, a boisterous piano piece filled with bold notes and large emotions. Victor always felt he needed to be in a certain mood to perform it to its best ability, and of all the choreographies he’s danced, this is the one he’s found most challenging. Not technique wise, but with the expression in particular. Yuuri moves, and Victor’s breath stops. 

Now, Diana is a beautiful dancer, poised and trained, molded by Lilia herself to become the perfect vessel to take over when the former Prima Ballerina had to step down, and she’s done so beautifully. Victor loves her, loves dancing with her, but she never moves like this. 

Each of Yuuri’s movements is bursting with emotions, guiding the dance as he travels across the floor. Victor barely notices Alexi, completely mesmerised by the smaller man as he twists, extends and elongates. He’s truly a dancer, out into every breath of his body. They move through the choreography and even if it’s obviously not practiced as much as one would before a performance, Yuuri is amazing. He fills the gaps in the dance with longer movements, musicality making the steps seem more fluent. Victor can feel something rise in his chest as he watches, something he hasn’t felt this strongly in years. A longing to dance. To grab those graceful hands of Yuuri’s and lead him through it. As the clip ends, the pair having managed to do all of the elements Victor and Diana does, Victor simply sits and stares at his screen for a long moment, trying to wrap his mind around what he just saw. Then he starts the video again. 

After watching the video ten times, one where he forced himself to focus on Alexi instead of Yuuri— which turned out to be the hardest thing Victor has ever done, even harder than cutting off his hair almost ten years ago— he opens the video on his big screen instead, sits down on the floor in front of it, and calls Diana. 

_ “Took you long enough,”  _ she answers, her accent still british even after all the years in Russia. _ “Did you watch it?” _ _   
_ “Like a hundred times,” Victor exaggerates, leaning back against the couch as he starts it again on the TV, this time without sound. “How did you find it?” 

_ “An old friend who’s dancing in their dance company sent it to me,” _ Diana says, her voice slightly excited. _ “What’d you think?” _

Victor looks at the pair on the screen, frowning slightly at the weak lift Alexi is doing, Yuuri all but carrying himself in it. The dansoeur seems to lack technique in lifts the most, and Victor can see the strain Yuuri puts on his body to make sure they get through the complicated piece. Victor didn’t see it the first time, or the fifth, Yuuri manages so well, but when he focused on Alexi he saw it, and now he’s worried about it. He brushes it off his mind for now, pulling his knees up to his chest. 

“Yuuri’s amazing, Alexi’s alright,” Victor admits, seeing the music flow from Yuuri’s body even as the tv’s on mute. Diana snorts. 

_ “Alright? Do you not remember how much we struggled with this piece? How much sweat and tears we put into it? These kids are putting us to shame Vitya,” _ she says and now it’s Victor’s time to smile and shake his head.

“You make it sound like we’re old,” he points out, restarting the video again, getting lost in the way Yuuri gracefully moves his arms. He’s truly breathtaking. 

_ “Things like this makes me feel old,” _ Diana says with a sigh.  _ “But like you say they’re amazing. Especially Yuuri. I haven’t seen anyone like him in forever. Look at those lines, look at his fingers, Vitya. It’s like he’s born to dance.” _

“Yeah everyone can’t be blessed with your chicken hands,” Victor teases, remembering every time Lilia has shouted at them to restart because Diana has tensed her wrists and hands. 

_ “Shut up,”  _ Diana answers and Victor laughs, eyes tracing Yuuri Katsuki's body. It feels a bit wrong to stare, but for a dancer with such grace and strength, he has delicious curves. It’s rare to see in the ballet community, and it makes Victor’s stomach flutter slightly. He might be developing a crush on this boy. He hasn’t had a crush in years. _ “Really though. Wow. Why are we having trouble finding understudies when there’s talent like this?” _

“Is that what the early morning tomorrow is about?” Victor asks, resting his phone against his shoulder. “Trouble again?”

_ “Apparently,” _ Diana sighs, and Victor knows her so well he can hear how tired she sounds. She deserves that morning off that they were promised. 

“What company are Yuuri and Alexi with?” Victor asks as the video continues to play, Victor still itching to dance. The more he looks the more irritated he gets with Alexi. Sure it’s a hard choreography and very few could do it even to the level he’s doing it, but Alexi is nowhere near the partner Yuuri deserves. Imagine what height Yuuri could get in his jumps and lifts if he had someone supporting him properly. 

_ “A small Russian one. Do you want to hear the crazy part?”  _ Diana asks and Victor yawns, today's early morning and hard training catching up to him. 

“Always,” he agrees.

_ “The dance blogs are calling us rivals. The media has latched onto it too. Go out on any news site or fan blog and check.” _

“What?” Victor asks in disbelief, exiting the video to move over to check the news sites. Sure enough, the video seems to have gone viral, and there are article after article, in russian, french and english, claiming the young duo is challenging the ‘old king and queen’. Victor shudders at the headline, exiting quickly. He’s only twenty seven, he’s hardly old. 

“This is crazy,” Victor sighs and Diana laughs. 

_ “I know right? Rivalry. Isn’t that something just sports people do?” _

Victor snorts and Diana laughs melodically. “Definitely,” Victor agrees, clicking on a link to read more about Yuuri. He only finds a few articles, and some are in Japanese which means Victor understands nothing of it, and Google translate seems to have butchered it to be unreadable, but he finds a few in english. 23 years old, from Hasetsu Japan, originally trained by Minako Okukawa. That’s a name Victor recognizes. Lilia talks about her from time to time, so clearly someone respectable. Attending high level dance education in America, of all places, before moving to Russia two years ago to enter his current dance company. There’s a few photos on Google too, and Victor feels his breath hitch as he looks into those deep brown eyes. It seems that when Yuuri is not dancing he wears adorable blue framed glasses and his hair softly framing his face instead of pushed back from it, and he looks absolutely cuddly. 

_ “Oh my god,” _ Diana exclaims, and Victor had almost forgotten he still had her on the phone while he was reading out loud.  _ “Do you like him?” _

“Dia, I’m twenty seven and I've never met him,” Victor points out, extremely happy that she’s not there to see his blush. He’d never live that down.

_ “You can still find him attractive though. Do you?” _ she asks, amused. 

“Yeah,” Victor admits, looking at a photo of Yuuri mid-dance, eyes closed and expression serene. “He’s gorgeous.”

_ “I knew it,”  _ Diana exclaims. _ “Let's go see him!” _

“What? Go see him dance?” Victor asks, panicked. “We can’t! Not now with all that going on. The media is going to have a field day we if show up at their performance after this.” 

_ “Naaah. I don’t think so. Besides, when was the last time you visited the ballet without having to dance?”  _

Victor can’t even remember it. He hasn’t really been in the mood to see dance, especially ballet lately. Nothing really inspired him anymore, but admittedly, this does. 

“Do they have a show currently running?” Victor asks, unable to stop himself. An entire performance with Yuuri instead of just a four minute clip, he would love to see that. Find out if Yuuri’s always as graceful as he is in the video. 

_ “Mhm,” _ Diana reveals on the other side of the phone.  _ “We don’t have practice on Thursday evening, correct? Let’s go then!”  _

Victor sighs but agrees, and with Diana promising to get them tickets and Victor promising to go to bed, they hang up. Victor makes good on his promise, but when he falls asleep he dreams of deep brown eyes, and a strong graceful body in his grip. 

There are murmurs in the hall of the theater as Victor and Diana enter, heads turning to look at them before they promptly turn back to whisper. Victor smiles his most charming and easy-going smile, trying to placate the rumors that are already spreading like wildfire before his very eyes. 

“We shouldn't have come,” he says between clenched teeth as he sees Diana wave to an old dance acquaintance of them both, and Victor nods towards them with a pleasant smile. 

“It’s worse than I thought,” she agrees, as they make their way over to leave their jackets, greeting people as they go. Victor recognizes critics and producers, people he wouldn’t suspect being in a lower level theater like this. The video must really have stirred things up. Something in Victor’s gut clenches slightly, a panic rising in his throat. He can’t exactly explain why, but the thought of Yuuri going to another company than Lilia’s makes him uncomfortable, even if Lilia’s response to the idea of scooping Yuuri up was lukewarm at best. 

“I do not go seeking talent,” Lilia had huffed when they had dismissed yet another round of understudies, all good, none great.

Victor had huffed, earning a glare. Clearly they did need to go find them, since none of the dancers that has auditioned in the last month has been able to meet the standards. Victor knows that any day now Dia is going to tell him she’s retiring. He can see it in the way she doesn’t get involved in coming productions, they way she doesn’t try as hard anymore. Victor understands, and in a way he’s grateful. He’d rather she moved on so he can find someone who’s bursting with the need to dance, like he still is, than to shackle him down and drown his love for dance. They both know it, she just needs to take the step. 

“What’s Tanya doing tonight?” Victor asks, offering his arm again after Diana’s handed her coat over to the clerk. At the mention of her wife’s name Diana smiles sweetly, and Victor smiles too. They are so stupidly in love, and Victor is envious of it, how perfectly they fit and how much they do for each other. He wants it too.

“She’s holding a lecture about the pathophysiology surrounding sepsis,” she says proudly, lifting her long dress slightly as they start to make their way up the stairs to their small box. Tanya’s a doctor and her and Diana met when Victor and Dia was hosting a charity event a few years back.

“That sounds complicated,” Victor says with a frown and Diana laughs and shakes her head, her long blond locks bouncing as she does.

“I have no idea what it’s about, but it’s so sexy when she holds practice lectures at home with her big words on hemoglobin and molecules and I just melt,” she says with a grin and Victor shakes his head. She’s so smart, and Victor knows it. Tanya knows it too. He hopes Diana goes back to college when she retires, just so she’ll figure it out herself. 

They find their seat in the small private box and Victor has no idea how Diana got these tickets but it’s an amazing view of the entire stage. They settle down in their seats, chat about the lack of decent understudies and about the possible upcoming production. It’s still in its first stages, and Victor is pretty sure Diana is going to announce her retirement when they start casting, but for now they pretend she’s going to play the lead just like always, up until the lights dim, and they turn their attention to the stage. 

The first act of Sleeping Beauty starts, and even though it’s not one of Victor’s favourites, neither to watch nor perform, he’s swept away into it. He laughs at the fairies, catches his breath at the evil seventh one, and sways in time with the music as the dancers move. But above all, he’s even more enchanted with Yuuri. Yuuri plays the role of sleeping beauty perfectly, from his graceful delicate movements, to his pretty expression and thoughtful performance. Victor longs to be up on that stage, to be closer and see him dance next to him. From the box he can see every line, every breath but his hands itch to feel them under his hands instead, to be part of the dance with Yuuri. The feeling only grows when he sees how incompetent Alexi truly is. 

Well, incompetent is a bit harsh, but he truly is no match for Yuuri. It’s even clearer now that Victor has an entire performance to watch them, and not only a four minute video only showing one angle. Victor is surprised the director let them up on stage at all, and not because the performance is bad, Yuuri makes sure it’s not, but because of the dangers of it. Yuuri carries too much of himself into the lifts, it becomes evident as the performance goes on, and for someone as skilled as Victor it’s impossible to miss. Even Diana picks up on it and brings it up at intermission, after they’ve gone down to get a glass of wine none of them will tell Lilia about, and is safely tucked back into their box away from gossip.

“You always give me better support than that,” she says with a frown, purple lipstick coloring the edge of the glass as she sips on the wine. “My back would be killing me if you lifted me like that.”

“I know. I can hardly believe Yuuri manages it at all. He must have core strength like a god,” Victor comments, earning a slap in his solar plexus and a pout from his dance partner.

“Chicken hands and no core muscles,” she whines and Victor shakes his head with a fond smile. “How do you put up with me.” 

“Hopefully he’ll get something better,” Victor says, looking down at the audience in front of the dance floor. There are several producers and directors, and Victor assumes it’s for Yuuri. They’d be crazy not to. The lights dim and Victor sits back, smiling as Yuuri steps back up on stage. He’s a true joy to watch, and Victor can’t understand what he’s doing in a company this small. Anyone this good should be with them, performing on larger stages. Then again, with Victor and Diana dictating the leads for almost a decade, a dancer might think against it. 

The performance continues and Victor hardly has eyes for anyone but Yuuri. He truly is breathtaking and Victor would love to dance with him, to guide his steps and follow his movements. To give him proper support because— 

Victor sees it as if in slow motion, even from the take off. Yuuri pushes up into the air, Alexi’s arms supposed to hold him but Victor can see that the grip is off the moment Yuuri’s feet leave the floor. Blood starts rushing in his ears as he sees Alexi’s hand on Yuuri’s waist slide, the lift losing balance as Yuuri’s in the air. Victor shoots out of his seat, as if he could rush up and help, to catch, but it’s impossible. Yuuri falls and Alexi scrambles, gripping him so he can’t move his arms to catch himself. Yuuri’s arms slide out of the frantic grip as well, and then lands on the stage, hard. 

The scream that follows rips Victor’s heart to shreds. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next Tuesday: Retirement, pining and a surprising phone call. 
> 
> Thank you for reading, please let me know what you think in the comment section or on other platforms like:  
[Tumblr](https://www.tumblr.com/blog/linisen) and [Twitter](https://twitter.com/mjaoue)


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Victor's life changes, and then Victor changes his life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so happy so many of you are excited for this story. All your comments and kudos makes me so happy, I can barely describe it with words. 
> 
> A huge thank you to the lovely [takeitoffhemmo](https://archiveofourown.org/users/takeitoffhemmo) for the help with the beta.

The next day Diana announces she’s retiring. Victor’s isn’t surprised. He saw her shocked face last night, how she’d gone pale as a sheet when Yuuri was carried out from the stage by some other dancers, unable to stand on his foot. It had been a long time coming and this was simply the catalyst that made her take the step. She tells Victor right before they’re about to go in for warm ups and Victor hugs her and tells her how much he’s loved dancing with her. There are no tears. Maybe they were both prepared for this so they’ve already mourned it. Maybe it’s not real yet. Lilia, however, is very surprised and furious. Victor has to sit on the floor of the largest dance studio as they shout at each other for almost an hour about it. Lilia turns to him with dark eyes when Diana doesn’t relent, and Victor holds his hands up in a placating motion. 

“I’m not,” he assures her and that seems to make Lilia relax slightly, even if there’s still a pinch between her eyebrows and her jaw was firmly set. They decided that Diana will dance the events they have already booked and planned, which means another two months together. At the end of that period they will start to look for a replacement for her for the next production, someone who can fill her part next to Victor.

Victor doesn’t suggest it then, with the injury so new, but when Lilia comes to him to discuss audition dates he can’t help but bring it up. There have been news of Yuuri since that horrible night, and the fan blogs speculates frantically about what kind of injury it could be, and where he’s disappeared to. From Victor’s point of view it must have affected his foot, and perhaps some ligaments and joints in the lower leg and knee. Victor shudders. If best it was a sprain, worst case… Victor doesn’t want to think about it. 

“What about Yuuri Katsuki?” he asks as Lilia hands him a paper of suggested dates for seeing ballerinas. Her perfectly plucked and sharp eyebrows rise high on her forehead before she looks down into her papers, shaking her head before she looks back at Victor.

“I heard he got injured,” she says, and Victor frowns for a second, blinking.

“That was over a month ago. Maybe he’s healed,” Victor suggests and Lilia lets out a scoff. She’s been more agitated ever since Diana decided to quit, and Victor seems to be the one who has to deal with all of her, for lack of a better word, tantrums. 

“They’re never the same afterwards,” Lilia says with a cold tone, washing over Victor as a cold shower. He looks at her in surprise, an uncomfortable feeling filling his gut at her words. 

“Is that fair?” Victor asks, thinking about Yuuri’s gorgeous line and spins, his musicality and strength. The idea of no one wanting to hire him based on the fact that he got injured, without even giving him a chance, physically pains Victor. Lilia sighs, that same sigh she’s been using ever since Victor was a child and started dancing for her. Maybe she never even noticed he grew up. 

“Don’t worry about that Victor,” she assures him, only pressing the point that’s echoing in Victor’s head. “We’ll find you someone to dance with. They won’t be Diana, but it will work itself out.”   
Victor leaves the studio feeling a lot heavier that he ever has, starting to wonder if he should retire too. 

The auditions start two days later, and it doesn’t make him feel better. The dancers are technically good, strong and graceful. They all do a group class, some getting to move on to a solo and those who have proved themselves after that gets to do a test with Victor in a  _ pas de deux _ . It all feels stiff and stale. 

Victor can feel the joy he has for dance slipping and after the last performance with Diana he’s so frustrated he opens a bottle of wine and sits down on the floor, starting that first video of Yuuri on his TV as he drinks. Maybe he should quit too… but what should he do? Victor loves dance, has always loved it. He can’t remember ever wanting to be anything but a dancer. He gets about halfway through the bottle before he has an idea. He finds his phone and thumbs through his contacts, pressing it to his ear as the call connects. 

_ “Victor,” _ a familiar voice greets, warm and happy, french accent prominent. _ “This is a surprise old friend. How are you?” _

“Miserable,” Victor confesses immediately. “Lilia has made me hate dance and I have a crush on a cute boy that’s disappeared.” 

Chris laughs, and it actually makes Victor feel better, hearing his old friend’s warm and happy laugh. He smiles a little, settling back against the couch and resting his head back on the seat of it. Victor and Chris learned dance together, and later moved up to get signed by Lilia when they entered their teens. Chris left the company just three years ago, claiming it wasn't fun anymore. Victor knows he still dances though, so maybe he has some suggestions on how to stop Victor from despising what he loves.

_ “That sounds awful,” _ Chris agrees.  _ “Which problem should we tackle first? Or are they connected? Has Lilia chased the pretty boy away?” _

“No,” Victor sighs, closing his eyes. As he does images of Yuuri flood his memory, both from the stage and the clips online. With another sigh he opens them, phone still pressed to his ear. “Diana’s quitting. We’re looking for a replacement. They’re all terrible and Beautiful Boy isn’t allowed to audition.”

_ “Yeah, I talked to Dia a few weeks ago. I’m sorry. You’ve worked together for a long time,” _ Chris says and Victor shrugs. 

“I mean I’m going to miss her, both as a dancer and definitely as a friend, but things weren’t the same anymore. She doesn’t want to be there, and it shows in how she dances too.”

_ “And beautiful boy is a ballerina?” _ Chris asks with amusement laced in his voice. Victor can almost see his smirk and it brings a bit of a smile to his face. He’s missed Chris terribly. He should call more often. 

“Don’t tell Dia but Beautiful Boy is the prettiest ballerina in the world,” Victor confesses, the wine loosening his tongue.    
_ “And Lilia doesn’t want him because?” _ Chris asks. 

“Because he got injured almost two months ago. No one’s heard from him since,” Victor explains. The echo of Yuuri’s scream whispers in his ears, and he takes another sip of wine to drown it. The line goes quiet for a while, something highly unusual with Chris. Victor straightens and is just about to ask what’s wrong or if he called at a bad time, when Chris speaks again.

_ “Who is Beautiful Boy, Victor?” _

“His name is Yuuri Katsuki, I can send you a link to a video of him,” Victor says, already clicking out of the full screen option so he can copy the link. Chris chuckles.

_ “No… I know him,”  _ Chris admits, and Victor stops his mission to get the link to Chris through messenger, feeling his eyes widen in surprise. 

“You know him?” Victor questions, and the line falls silent again for a moment. Sure, Chris has a lot of contacts in the dance community but as far as Victor knows he hasn’t been Russia or the US in years. Why would he know Yuuri? How?

_ “Okay, so I’m not supposed to tell you, or anyone, but he’s here,”  _ Chris says seriously, and Victor shoots up to a sitting position, almost making his wine tumble over as he does. 

“What?”

_ “Yuuri’s here, at the dance studio. He’s living in my guest room.” _

“Why?” Victor questions trying to wrap his mind about this new information. He just called Chris to complain. To get all these bad emotions out of his system and maybe get advice on how to find joy in dancing again. He never, ever thought he might have the solution to his other problem.

_ “You remember my husband?”  _ Chris asks and Victor frowns, envisioning the dark haired tanned man with grey eyes smiling at Chris’ camera on instagram posts. 

“The one I haven't met yet because you eloped and didn't bother to have a proper wedding?” Victor questions. He knows he’s being sassy but he’s had too much wine and adrenaline’s starting to pump through his veins. Yuuri’s in Paris. Yuuri’s in Paris living with one of Victor’s best friends. 

_ “When it’s true love there's no use in waiting,”  _ Chris defends and if Victor was there he’s sure he would have thrown a wink and although Victor is happy for Chris, he has no patience for this right now. 

“Okay, so your husband?” Victor presses, eager to get to know more. A plan is quickly forming in his mind, but he needs more answers first. 

_ “Oh, yes. He’s Yuuri’s best friend. They studied dance together in the US,”  _ Chris answers and Victor’s heart does a flip in his chest. This is better than he could have ever hoped for.

“What’s he doing with you? Dancing?” Victor questions. He still doesn't know the nature of Yuuri’s injury, what got harmed and how he’s been coping with it. 

_ “Rehabilitation.” _

Victor barely thinks. He books a plane ticket, packs two bags and in the early morning light heads over to the dance studio to sign the papers for his resignation from the company, effective immediately, before he heads to the airport. It’s mid morning when he steps onto the plane for Paris, heart thundering in his chest. He’s visited Chris once before, so it’s not too much work to find his way to his friend’s dance studio with the help of the cab driver. 

It’s a beautiful old building that once used to be apartments, now turned studio. It’s late afternoon when Victor steps in, the mix of classical piano and the beat of a bassline an odd one. Lilia never allowed any type of dance that wasn’t classical ballet and even if Victor and numerous others have sometimes snuck out to do other styles, something like this would never occur there.

The space is light, stone walls white with light hardwood floors. There are greens hanging from the ceiling and photos of dancers; ballet, hip hop, gymnastics, pole, lining the walls. Chris is on some of them, a familiar face in the form of his husband Phichit on others, and numerous dancers Victor doesn’t recognize. He can hear chatter from inside, and he takes the small stairs up to the main floor in a few steps, coming face to face with a reception. A young woman sits behind it, hair dark as coal and eyes violet. She smiles and greets him in french, and Victor answers in kind, asking for Chris. She nods and points him towards the open space next to the desk, an array of couches, chairs and tables lining the space that’s overlooking two dance studios. To the right Victor can see some stairs leaning down to a basement where Victor knows holds an additional large dance studio with acrobatic mats and one for pole dancing, to the right another stairs leading up to two smaller more intimate studios. Chris stands in the middle of the seating, talking with a group of dancers. He’s smiling and laughing, his blond curls perfectly styled, round glasses on his nose. He looks happy, green eyes sparkling. 

“Chris!” the receptionist calls, and Chris turns towards it, smile widening as he spots Victor.

“I can’t believe you,” he says with a laugh, zick zacking through furniture to get to Victor, leaving the group of dancers behind. “I never thought you’d actually do it.”

“It’s nice to see you too,” Victor teases, pulling Chris into a hug after the obligatory cheek kisses. Chris holds him tight for a moment before stepping back, shaking his head. 

“I’ve never known you to be this impulsive!” Chris exclaims with a shake of his head. “Makes me wonder if it was the lack of love that drove you from Russia or the hope of it that pulls you towards Paris.” 

“Chris,” Victor says, a little breathless. He’s forgotten how spot on Chris can be, and him putting words on Victor’s still raw and jumbled emotions feels a little much after Victor threw himself into the unknown. Chris  _ tsk’s _ and shakes his head, linking his arm with Victor to pull him along. 

“Let’s not get too deep. We have all the time in the world,” Chris says, dropping the seriousness and smiling once again. “I would love to introduce you to my darling but I’m afraid he’s out, so we can go watch yours instead.”

Victor sighs but follows, moving with Chris to the staircase to the right. The lights are dimmed on the top floor, and even if it’s still light outside the space is dark, the ceiling window shutters drawn. There’s a song playing inside, and Victor doesn’t know it, but it’s definitely not classical music. Chris smirks, never a good sign, and tugs him to the windows that makes it possible to look into the studio. There’s a group of students there, no more than ten, and a dance teacher in front, and just as suspected they’re not dancing ballet. 

Once again Victor finds himself completely mesmerised by Yuuri Katsuki, and this time in a very different way. 

Yuuri’s laying on the floor, side turned to the mirror as his legs are pointing up towards the ceiling, ankles crossed and feet in black pumps. His legs are covered in fishnet stockings that sit snugly around his muscular calves and thighs, disappearing into short hotpants. He’s in a loose but almost completely sheer balck t-shirt, making his nipples very visible. His hair is slicked back and he looks dangerous. Victor gulps, heart rate picking up.

His legs come down, the back one bending gracefully as the other one stretches out, his arms moving from his sides to above his head before he arches, back completely leaving the floor. Victor gulps, heart pounding as Yuuri turns, profile turned towards the window where he and Chris are watching. He’s breathtaking, rolling to the side again to kick his leg up. Victor watches him in the mirror, Yuuri seemingly not having noticed them yet, and Victor feels himself falling even more. Who is this boy who continues to surprise Victor at every turn? An enigma without end, and they haven’t even spoken a word yet. 

“Oh fuck,” Victor breathes, unable to look away as Yuuri rolls his head back, dark eyes falling shut as he rolls to the side, standing gracefully as the class follows in the choreography. 

“Yeah,” Chris agrees and even if Victor isn’t looking at him he can hear the amusement in his voice. He rips his eyes from Yuuri to look at his friend, trying very hard to not get too affected by eros incarnated in the dance studio.

“You said he was rehabilitating!” Victor accuses, and he can see Chris trying to keep a straight face. 

“Rehabilitation for the soul?” Chris suggests, lips twitching as if holding back a laugh. Victor can’t believe this ridiculousness. 

“Did you just call burlesque rehabilitation for the soul?”

“Yes,” Chris says before he breaks out into laughter. Victor shakes his head and turns back to the studio. The music has stopped, and Yuuri’s going through some dance moves that the class follows. His heart beats faster in his chest looking over Yuuri. Even if he looks absolutely delicious, it’s mostly relief Victor's feeling. Maybe now he’ll have a chance to dance with him, see if that magic Yuuri produces when he moves can rub off on him. Now that he’s looking closer he can see an almost invisible tape wrapped around Yuuri’s ankle and foot in the right shoe, and how he doesn’t lean his weight on just the right one for an extended period of time. Victor’s heart clenches. 

“Let’s let him finish his class, and we can go have dinner and catch up before you approach him,” Chris suggests. 

“Alright,” Victor agrees, looking one last time at Yuuri’s extended leg and back snaking up before he turns to his friend with what he hopes is an easy smile.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next Tuesday: Yuuri POV
> 
> Thank you for reading, please let me know what you think in the comment section or on other platforms like:  
[Tumblr](https://www.tumblr.com/blog/linisen) and [Twitter](https://twitter.com/mjaoue)


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> And finally they meet.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so blown away by the response on this fic, thank you all so much. Your comments make my day.
> 
> A huge thank you to the amazing [takeitoffhemmo](https://archiveofourown.org/users/takeitoffhemmo) for all the help with beta. You're a saint dear <3.

The music fills the large dance studio, familiar and known. Yuuri stands in front of the mirror in the middle of the floor, favourite black tights and deep blue leotard on, shoulders covered in a black bolero, dance slippers on. He takes a deep breath, and then another, letting his posture straighten, his shoulders lower, his hips push forward. He angles his feet into first position and moves. It’s a known routine, to do the warm ups that Minako-sensei taught him when he was young. Yuuri’s been dancing all day, except for a short break around lunch, he’s already warmed up, but it feels nice. 

The exercises do more than warm up his muscles. It’s a way to get into the right headspace. To sink into the feeling of ballet instead of burlesque and contemporary that he’s been doing up until now. To find poise and grace, to elongate and breathe. The  _ pliés _ feels comfortable, even as Yuuri works to push his knees out further, in first position, pushing his pelvis forward to not arch his back. The emotions feel known, and Yuuri moves almost without thinking through first, second, third, and fifth position. He still has trouble with forth, and each time he feels the muscles in his ankle buckle he curses, so for today, he leaves it entirely. 

Yuuri can still feel it. If he lets himself he can still feel the ghost of Alexi’s grip slipping. His own body no longer being able to take the strain. How he tried to catch himself but being unable to move his arms. How he could feel himself land on his foot, how the pain was excruciating as the bones cracked. 

The dancers had all been so excited for the show. The production had been all sold out, and it had all been because of that clip someone had leaked. It was such a silly thing really. Yuuri had taken to dancing some of his favourite routines when he studied in New York, as a way to keep the joy from dancing alive as he struggled through dance classes with stern teachers. He’d always loved Victor and Diana, so it had been natural to do their routines, even if he rarely had a partner he could dance it with. 

He’d continued doing it when he got to Russia, even after Lilia had turned him down, and one night Alexi had seen him and asked to join. It had been fun, and even if Alexi’s lift technique left a lot to ask, Yuuri was happy to be able to do the choreography to its full extent. One of the other students had seen it, told one of the instructors and then it all snowballed from there. Before Yuuri knew it he was cast to play the lead in the company's next production and he’d been thrilled, of course he’d been thrilled, even if the lack in Alexi’s technique had become more and more evident the more they practiced. Yuuri knew he was heavier than most dancers so he tried to compensate by taking most of the weight himself, and it had worked out alright, until that one performance. 

The word that Victor and Diana was in the crowd spread like wildfire, and Yuuri had felt his own panic surge up after all the articles and gossip about Yuuri and Alexi trying to dethrone the current ballet super couple. Yuuri had no such claims. He just loved to dance the piece, there had been nothing more than that to it. Alexi had started panicking almost immediately, since he had scouts in the audience there to watch him, and that had in no way made Yuuri feel more at ease about dancing for his long time idols and his major crush. Diana’s a beautiful ballerina, but it’s not her Yuuri’s dreamt of dancing with ever since he started following Lilia Baranovskya’s dance productions. 

Victor is a gorgeous dancer, powerful yet elegant, and Yuuri’s had daily daydreams about dancing with the danseur for almost a decade. He guesses that will never happen now. As soon as Yuuri heard those bones breaking he knew it was over, and as panic surged in his mind, laying on a cold hospital gurney all alone in a hospital in Russia as a doctor casted his foot, all he could do was silently cry. He’d returned by taxi to his dorm in the dancer complex the company held, packed his things, and was on the first flight to Paris and his best friend, scared to death to go anywhere else. He couldn’t face his family or his sister, Yuuko, his fellow dance cast members, Minako. All he wanted to do was get away, so he did. 

Phichit and Chris had welcomed him with open arms, and Yuuri found himself in a guestroom and with two people hovering over him. Phichit was relentless in making sure he went to his doctor's appointments and when the cast on his foot was off, doing his physical therapy. Yuuri was immensely grateful and felt just as guilty. As soon as he could, he started teaching to help them out with  _ something _ . Making use of the burlesque classes he took during college, teaching, made him feel like he had a place in the world again, not just watching it. Still, he longed so to dance like he had before and it pained him to think that he probably never would, at least not on stage. Who wanted a broken dancer? One who fell during a performance? Who embarrassed the entire company. No one that’s who. 

Yuuri sighs, the song changing to a  _ tendu.  _ He notices the weakness in his right foot immediately but tries not to think too much of it. This is the only way to get better, to push and work and make sure he strengthens his ankle and foot again, even if it’s frustrating. It doesn’t hurt, not anymore. There’s just a weakness there, something taken from him in that span of a few months that took years to build. Mobility, strength, balance. Things he took for granted. Yuuri pushes the thought from his mind. It’s been a good day, and he’s feeling a bit more centered than he did yesterday. He continues to do the rest of the warmups and then moves to the speakers connected to his phone to start a familiar track, just needing to dance. He hasn’t been on  _ pointe  _ since the fall, but he can do this piece anyway, just for the feeling of it. 

It’s one of his absolute favourites of Victor and Diana’s dances. Rumor says Victor choreographed it himself, even if all the official records says it was Lilia. It’s clear to see that it isn't, at least to someone like Yuuri. This piece is more flowy than Lilia’s style, and it’s more free form than any ballet Yuuri’s seen from her. He wonders what Victor was thinking when he choreographed it. It’s a lonely piece, of longing and loneliness, to have someone at the grasp of your fingertips but not reaching them. Yuuri knows Diana’s part perfectly, and he turns the volume up so he can’t hear his own mind, and dances. It’s wonderful to do so, and Yuuri lets his body guide him through the music, all the way until the song ends and the studio falls into silence, Yuuri’s eyes on the floor as his chest heaves. 

“That was beautiful, Yuuri,” someone says and Yuuri snaps his eyes up, stomach dropping when his eyes meet blue ones looking at him through the mirror. Yuuri turns on impulse, mind racing a mile a minute because surely… 

Victor Nikiforov smiles at him, warm and kind, resting his back against the back wall, arms resting on the bar attached to it. Yuuri’s heart races, much faster than it did as he danced, much faster than he thinks it’s ever done. He blinks, and then again. Maybe his lenses are malfunctioning. Victor doesn’t go away, and Yuuri’s mind is scrambling, trying to figure out if this is a dream or not. It feels real, but Yuuri’s had many dreams about Victor before so it’s not too far fetched. Maybe he’s starting to hallucinate. 

“I’m sorry to interrupt you,” Victor says, accent curling around the english language. “I have a bit of trouble with impulse control and couldn’t stop myself. Do you mind?” 

Yuuri’s mind is still a mess, trying to think of anything he could say, ask, do, for this to make any kind of sense. 

“I-,” Yuuri starts, cutting himself off. “I don’t understand. Why are you here?” Victor’s supposed to be in Russia, the place Yuuri ran away from two months ago. 

Victor pushes himself off the wall and walks closer. He’s not in dance wear, a pair of perfectly fitted dark slacks under a soft looking creme shirt. He’s just in his socks, and Yuuri feels a surge of how much of a dancer that makes him, never stepping onto the dancefloor with shoes worn outside. He looks beautiful, even more so this close. Yuuri’s heart does a flip and then continues racing. 

“Can I be honest?” Victor asks, reaching one hand out. Yuuri can see the exact second he starts dancing, posture straightening, movements becoming more melodical. Yuuri knows what it means. 

It’s an invitation. 

To dance. 

Yuuri’s been wanting to dance with Victor for so long but can he, like this? Had this been yesterday he wouldn’t have. He would have backed up, apologized and probably excused himself. But today’s been good, and Yuuri’s nervous right now but not afraid. So he takes a step forward, sliding up into fourth, happy Victor chose to reach out his left hand so Yuuri can rest his weight on his left leg, letting the right one extend backwards on the floor. 

Victor smiles, a beautiful dazzling one, before he kneels down to bow over Yuuri’s hand. Yuuri’s done this countless times with partners, a greeting between the danseur and the ballerina, but never before has he blushed like this for it. Victor rises and then leads Yuuri one lap around, Yuuri automatically going up in  _ relevé  _ to follow. It’s just a simple lap, and when Victor comes around he changes his grip, letting Yuuri go down into first position as he positions himself behind him, hands still in Yuuri’s. Fear races in Yuuri’s veins. So many lift's start from this position, and Yuuri doesn’t want to turn Victor down, but he just can’t do it.

He looks at Victor in the mirror, and something tingles in his entire body as their eyes meet.

“ _ Relevé,”  _ Victor says softly and Yuuri complies, going up on the balls of his feet in first position, arms sliding out of Victor’s to come up in fifth. Victor looks into the mirror at his form, and Yuuri feels a bit breathless, as Victor’s hands come to rest on his waist. “On your right?” 

Yuuri goes carefully, his left foot caressing up his calf to his knee, pointed. Victor hums as he looks, asking Yuuri to change to his left. Yuuri does, still acutely aware of Victor’s hands a steady support just above his hips. 

“Beautiful,” Victor whispers, almost like a breath, and it tickles the hairs at the back of Yuuri’s neck, making goosebumps break out on his skin. Victor’s hands are so sure, supporting Yuuri as he reaches. Yuuri can’t stop himself from meeting Victor’s gaze in the mirror over his shoulder, heart racing in his chest.

“My right ankle is weak,” Yuuri protests, happy to be standing on his left leg as they speak, He elongates the pointed foot further, strengthening his ankle as he continues to work up, up, on his  _ relevé.  _ Victor hums again, and Yuuri’s not sure if it’s an agreement that his ankle is weak or just an acknowledgement on that Victor heard him. 

“Does it hurt?” Victor asks instead, voice soft before he instructs again. “On both feet.” 

Yuuri lets his left foot caress down his calf down into fifth position. Victor’s hands are still around his waist, and he looks so strong, even if he’s just holding Yuuri in place. It’s never felt like this with a partner before, and they aren’t even dancing. Maybe it’s Yuuri’s inner fanboy. Maybe it’s Victor being such an excellent dancer and performer that he commands the attention of the room and Yuuri’s body with just his presence. Whatever it is, it feels good. And Yuuri’s pretty sure he’s not worthy of that. 

“Not really,” he answers as he starts descending, Victor supporting him all the way down. “The cast made the muscles wither, and the breaks seem to have made it much harder to elongate,” Yuuri answers. They’re still looking at each other through the mirror, and in a way it feels better that way, as a sort of distance between them even if they’re standing so close, Victor’s hand on the small of his back. Yuuri still doesn’t understand what is happening, maybe he fell and hit his head and this is a concussion dream. 

“You broke it,” Victor concludes. It’s not a question, more as if he’s taking in the information. Yuuri wonders what he thought that night, watching as Yuuri fell, and hastily pushes it from his mind. He’s been down that road before, and he’s wet the pillow in the guest room in Phichit and Chris’ apartment many times. The tears have rolled heavy down his cheeks as he felt the shame of embarrassing himself in front of someone he admires. “In several places?” Victor asks an Yuuri nods, turning his head to look at his ankle, turning his right foot a little. The tape helps with the stability, but not the strain, and Yuuri feels it from dancing all day. 

“Three,” he answers. He can hear Victor suck in a soft breath, and Yuuri looks up to see his brows furrowed. “Why are you here, Victor?”

It feels strange to use such a familiar name, but he doesn’t know what to call him otherwise. Mr Nikiforov feels weird, and Yuuri didn’t spend enough time in the States to feel comfortable using it. He doesn’t think Victor wound understand the meaning of senpai or sensei, something Yuuri’s not really keen on explaining right now, with Victor’s hand still on his body. 

Victor bites his lip, seemingly not offended by the familiarity of Yuuri using his name, contemplating. The next time he meets Yuuri’s eyes he’s smiling softly.

“I’m going to be completely honest with you,” Victor says, and Yuuri feels his heart drop to the pit of his stomach because nothing good ever followed that sentence. The room suddenly feels very cold. “I want to dance with you.”

“What?” The word rushes out of Yuuri as he turns in shock, because surely Victor can’t have just said what Yuuri thinks he said. Victor looks down at him, too close, and Yuuri’s heart stops. He’s so incredibly beautiful, even more so up close. Long lashes that fan over high cheekbones, silver hair perfectly styled, eyes bluer than the ocean outside the coast of Hasetsu. Lips made for kissing.  _ Shit, Yuuri don’t think about kissing.  _

Victor shifts on his feet a little, a very attractive pink blush coloring his cheeks as he looks straight into Yuuri’s eyes. He’s not touching Yuuri anymore. His hand must have fallen away when Yuuri turned to face him. Yuuri can still feel the warmth of it, might even be missing it. This is insane. 

“I was losing inspiration,” Victor starts and the tone is so flat Yuuri barely knows what to do with it. Victor looks away from him, eyes falling on something further away, maybe on nothing at all. “It felt as if I stagnated as a dancer, like I was trapped with a partner who was moving away from dance, and under a director who wouldn’t let me choreography or try new things to evolve. Dance was becoming stale, and I never wanted it to be.” 

Victor looks back at Yuuri, the spark in his eyes returning and if Yuuri wasn’t standing right there, just a few feet separating them, he’s sure he could convince himself he imagined it. The smile that spreads on Victor’s face is harder to ignore, and Yuuri’s stomach flips by the sight. 

“Then Dia sent me a video of you and all I could think about, except for how beautifully you danced and how atrocious your partner was, was that I longed to dance with you. I don’t think I’ve felt that so strongly in years. I’ve felt a drive to dance certain choreographies or performances, but such a longing for a specific partner. Never. “

Yuuri can hear his own blood rush in his ears, heart pounding in his chest because this must be a mistake. Yuuri’s not good enough, he wasn’t even before the fall. It had been evident in how his audition went with Lilia two years ago. Yuuri had been working so hard to mend that, even if he feared he would never measure up, and now… Now it’s impossible. 

“I don’t understand,” Yuuri says as he tries to push logic through the rushing emotions in his mind. “What about the dance company?” Yuuri questions. This is all so surreal. 

“I quit,” Victor answers with a steady voice and Yuuri’s eyes widen, jaw falling slack. 

“What? Why?” he asks. He’s suddenly not cold at all, his entire body flooded with adrenaline. It’s like he’s sinking into fight or flight mode, body unsure which to choose. 

“Like I said, I want to dance with you,” Victor says. “Will you let me?” 

Yuuri should say no. Should send Victor back to Russia and tell him there’s no use. Yuuri’s a broken dancer and will never become what he once was. Still there’s a small voice in the back of his head that begs for him to say yes. Dancing with Victor has been a dream of his for so long and even if he never wanted it to be like this, maybe it can give Yuuri a sense of closure for the career he dreamed of and almost grasped. 

“I can’t do lifts,” Yuuri says in agreement, maybe just to see if Victor will pull back and tell him it’s no use if they can’t do the actual pair choreography in a  _ pas de deux _ . Victor doesn’t. He lights up with a smile so bright Yuuri feels like he turned the lights on in the dimly lit dance studio. It’s unfair for him to be so happy for something like this, when all Yuuri’s going to do is let him down.

“Okay,” Victor with a smile, and Yuuri breaks out of their stare to turn back to the speakers, retrieving his phone. 

“It’s not okay, how are we supposed to do this if I can’t let you lift me?” Yuuri mumbles as he picks his phone up, turning the speaker system off for the night. He wonders if Phichit’s already left. He’ll have to check the office in the back. Maybe Yuuri should call and offer to get take out for them to eat if him and Chris have already gone home. 

“There’s more to dance than that, and we’ll ease into it as we go. No lifts,” Victor says and it makes Yuuri pause to look at him, make sure he’s sincere. It’s not like he knows Victor. He can’t be sure he’s speaking the truth but Yuuri doesn’t see any signs of him messing with him. He tries to take that small victory and smiles a little as he nods. 

“Alright,” Yuuri agrees as he ducks his head, not wanting Victor to see the smile he’s having trouble repressing. There’s a giddiness filling him he hasn’t felt since the injury, some sort of hope that all he longed for is not yet lost, even if some things are. 

“But Yuuri,” Victor interrupts and Yuuri raises his head to look at him again. Victor’s expression is soft but determined, and Yuuri has no idea what it means. “Know that at any point you can change your mind. I’m not scared to lift you.”

“I’m much heavier than Diana, Victor,” Yuuri protests, clenching his jaw at the sourness the words leave on his tongue. 

“So? You know as well as I do that your weight plays little part in the lifts. It's about technique and trust, correct?” Victor counters with an easy smile and even if Yuuri knows that’s the truth, it doesn’t change the fact that Yuuri’s body looks like it does. When Yuuri doesn’t answer Victor steps closer and for a moment Yuuri wonders if he’s going to touch him again, and can’t decide if he wants him to or not. Victor doesn’t. He stops very close to Yuuri, and pins him under his gaze. “Let’s just dance together, okay?” 

Yuuri lets out a breath slowly, fingers tingling with excitement. “Okay.” 

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next week: dancing, dancing, running, dancing, and maybe some trust too. 
> 
> Thank you for reading, please let me know what you think in the comment section or on other platforms like:  
[Tumblr](https://www.tumblr.com/blog/linisen) and [Twitter](https://twitter.com/mjaoue)


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yuuri's emotions threaten to overwhelm him as he and Victor get closer and an unexpected visitor threatens to change everything.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A huge thank you to [takeitoffhemmo](https://archiveofourown.org/users/takeitoffhemmo) for the help with beataing this fic.

Victor hugs him when he agrees, and Yuuri feels so stunned that he barely starts hugging back before Victor pulls away with a wide smile. Yuuri’s heart skips a beat and he tries not to get to caught up in Victor’s evident joy about their coming dance practices. Yuuri’s feeling more than excited about it and isn’t really sure why Victor is even more so.

They walk together into the common area in front of the reception, Victor putting his shoes back on as Yuuri shrugs on a pair of sweats and a hoodie. It’s only when Chris and Phichit emerge from the office with far too sly grins and an exclamation of “should we head home?” to which both Victor and Yuuri answer “yes” that Yuuri realises that Victor is going to stay at the Chulanont-Giacometti household as well. 

The four of them walk together to the apartment, Chris and Victor in front as Phichit and Yuuri hang back. Yuuri can’t take his eyes off Victor, still a little dazed that he’s here, and that he’s come to dance with Yuuri. 

“Did you agree?” Phichit asks when it’s evident that the men in front of them are in deep conversation. Yuuri doesn’t ask how he knows, or what he knows, mainly because he doesn’t want to know what Victor has said to who and why. 

“I did,” Yuuri says with a nod, following down now known Parisian streets. He’s starving, mind still spinning, small smile tugging at his lips. He can feel his ankle getting sorer by the minute, and he’s going to have to massage it and tape it again after his shower. Phichit squeals beside him, and Yuuri thinks that it is only because Phichit doesn’t want to alert the men in front of them that he doesn't tackle Yuuri into a hug.

“Yuuri, that’s great! It’s like a dream come true,” Phichit says excitedly and Yuuri sighs as he shakes his head, dropping it a little to look down at his sneakers. 

“I don’t know. I didn’t— It wasn’t like this when I imagined it,” Yuuri settles on and Phichit hums in acknowledgement, brows pinching for just a second. Yuuri’s always a little dizzy with how quickly Phichit can work through his thoughts, how easy he can push away bad ones. 

“True,” his best friend agrees, turning his head as he links his arm with Yuuri. “But maybe this can be better.” He leans closer, and Yuuri knows it’s going to be scandalous if his friend is going to such extensive lengths to make sure Victor doesn’t hear. Yuuri has no doubts that this entire conversation is going to be echoed to Chris. He’s just happy that he’s gotten to know the man so well by now that he can trust that it’s going to stay there, no matter how close he and Victor is. “This way you get him all to yourself.”

“Phichit-kun!” Yuuri exclaims and Phichit draws back with a laugh, making the men in front of them turn to look. Phichit smiles brightly and Yuuri looks away, feeling a blush staining his cheeks. He can hear Chris chuckle and because Yuuri is horribly curious, he glances back. Victor’s looking at him, smile curling at his lip when they lock eyes. He turns back after just a second but the connection stays with Yuuri the entire way back. 

Yuuri and Phichit cook, while Chris and Victor set up the guest room that’s right next to the one Yuuri’s staying in. He’s extremely grateful that his friends even have a second guest room because otherwise…Yuuri tries not to think about it. Dinner is a nice affair, the food good and Chris and Victor falling into conversation about their time dancing for Lilia. Victor moans loudly at everything he thinks taste good, making Yuuri bite the inside of his cheek hard as he blushes. 

Yuuri goes to bed with a large smile on his face, squealing into his pillow. 

They start dancing together the next day. Victor encourages Yuuri to lead the warm up so he does, starting the familiar playlist of warm up music he grew up with as they stand by the barre. Yuuri tries to focus on his own movements as Victor stands behind him, presumably following. They’re in one of the smaller studios on the second floor, the light from the ceiling windows shining in. It’s Yuuri’s favourite. 

They move through the exercises, removing clothes as they get warmer, and Yuuri tries very, very hard to not stare at Victor’s chest when he disposes of his sweater, revealing a very tight leotard. His chest is incredibly well sculpted, his sweatpants hanging low on his hips. It’s incredibly teasing, and as Yuuri turns back to the barre he tries his hardest not to glance back at Victor again. 

They do stretches next, which is all kinds of flustering with how Victor wants them to stretch  _ together _ . Yuuri’s accustomed to it. Him and Phichit often stretch together, but this is different. Victor touches him in another way, movements sure but stable, as if guiding Yuuri into the stretch rather than pushing him. It’s strange to have the other man's hands on him, and Yuuri finds it equally strange to put his hands on Victor in turn. 

They move over to choreography and Victor suggests they do the dance Yuuri was practicing the night before. For two hours they practice and even if it isn’t perfect, they get through it somewhat unscattered. No lifts, and no leans. Only choreography next to each other. After that Yuuri has to leave to teach a class in contemporary, and to his surprise Victor asks to come and take it. Yuuri agrees in a daze and soon finds himself with his regular class of students plus one more, trying to teach as he always does.

Victor is clearly not accustomed to the way of more free form dancing, and even if he picks up choreography quickly, it takes him longer to fully be able to do the movements. It’s dangerous for the heart, seeing Victor like this. Smiling, carefree and imperfect. Yuuri can feel himself falling, too quick, too hard. 

After the class they eat lunch together, Yuuri showing Victor his favourite food truck just a few blocks down from the studio. The vendors tease them in french, and Victor teases back, Yuuri feeling the blush seep deep into his cheeks, maybe even coloring them permanently. They walk and talk, and Yuuri finds himself easily answering Victor’s questions, even asking some back. Victor is very easy to be around, even if his high energy leaves Yuuri a bit dizzy. 

They separate after lunch, Yuuri holding two back to back children's classes Victor can’t take since he’s over two decades too old. Yuuri finds himself smiling fondly at the pout that decorated his face when Yuuri told him, almost missing calling out instructions during warm ups. When he’s done, Victor isn’t out in the seating area, and after a quick check with Sara at the reception Yuuri finds out one of the smaller studios will be open for another hour and a half. Yuuri hurries up, digs his pointé shoes out of his bag, and ties them on.

He walks up to the barre carefully, placing his hands on it softly. He’s acutely aware of how right and wrong this feels at the same time. The barre is known, and so is the feeling of the shoes on his feet, even if he can feel that he hasn’t been using them for a while. He starts his regular exercises without music, just warming up without going up all the way on  _ pointe _ . 

_ Plié, plié, grand plié, _ out to second position and repeat, into third. When he feels like his feet are ready he does another set and then starts the on  _ pointe _ exercises. 

Yuuri’s heart is hammering in his chest as he pushes up on his toes, and he’s not sure why. He knows he’s going to be able to do it, even if he’s going to feel the limited mobility. Maybe he’s scared that this will prove that he’ll never become the dancer he wanted to become. That he’s thrown away his life and his parents money on something that was as easy to snatch away as one simple fall. Maybe he’s scared of how much he’ll love it. Yuuri’s careful in a way he usually isn’t when he dances. This is basics. These are movements he learned to do as a child, when he got his first pair from Minako. It’s easy to fall into, even if Yuuri can feel the restriction in his movements, stopping him to push as far as he wants. 

He grips the barre tightly, and he can almost hear Minako telling him to loosen his grip as he rests his weight on the plaster toes of the shoes. His balance feels good, and as he simply stands, he doesn’t feel restricted at all. Carefully he starts to continue his warm ups, going all the way on point as he does them. Yuuri’s been working hard to strengthen his ankle, doing exercises every morning and night, but after just a few minutes he can feel his ankle give out. With a deep sigh he lowers himself, shaking his right foot to shake out the tension in his ankle. Disappointment seeps into his skin and he sits down to unlance, before he hurries home to the apartment. He takes a shower and crawls into bed with his handheld PS vita, and curls into himself on the bed. When someone knocks on the door later that night he doesn’t answer. 

The next day Yuuri decides to go for a run before anyone wakes. The streets of Paris are beautiful and it’s a joy to work his way through the city as it wakes. He pushes himself up to the stairs of  _ sacré-coeur _ and then down, and then up once again. When he emerges the second time his lungs feel like their burning, blood rushing and heart pounding. He looks out over the city and lets his racing mind catch up to him, the one he when out running from in the first place. 

What can he give Victor if he can’t even do more than ten minutes  _ on pointe _ ? What does Victor see in Yuuri that he feels is worth his time? Yuuri doesn’t know, and he’s so scared Victor’s going to realise he’s made a mistake, at the same time he’s sort of hoping for it. If Victor goes back to Russia Yuuri can continue hiding. It’s the easiest thing, to hide. With Victor here Yuuri has to face what he lost, and even if Victor says he just wants them to dance, can that really be true? Can that be enough? Yuuri doesn’t think so, but then again, he doesn’t know Victor that well. 

He jogs back slowly, entering the apartment just as the other men are cooking breakfast. Yuuri had hoped they would have left already but it seems he’s not so lucky. He gives a weak smile and heads for the shower with ducked head, only for Phichit to grab his arm with a wide smile and push him down into a kitchen chair. 

“You can eat with us first,” Phichit informs him just as Yuuri’s about to protest that he needs a shower, and Yuuri lets out a huff as he settles back. Phichit knows him too well, and even if Yuuri adores that on some days, he despises it on others. Victor smiles kindly from across the table and Yuuri smiles back, feeling a blush that has nothing to do with him running for an hour seep into his cheeks. 

“Good run?” Victor asks and Yuuri nods, wrapping his hands around a cup of tea that Phichit puts in front of him. “Would you bring me with you next time?”

Yuuri heart rate picks up, trying to wrap his mind around why Victor wants to spend time with him. He should ask, but he knows that it’s useless with Phichit and Chris in the room. 

“Sure,” he agrees instead, smiling back at Victor even though the reason he ran was to get away from all the others. Victor’s smile widens and that makes Yuuri feel like a liar and a fraud, and instead of saying anything else he digs into his food. 

They’ve been dancing together every morning for two weeks when Yuuri finally summons the courage to ask. They’ve continued on the same routine as that first day, Yuuri leading warm ups, then stretches and choreography. They’ve moved on to some of the choreography that’s made for pairs, Victor guiding Yuuri or spinning him but nothing where Yuuri has to lean his weight on him. Nothing where Yuuri truly has to trust. They’re just winding down from their dance practice, lying on the floor. Yuuri doesn’t hold contemporary classes today, but he has burlesque later in the day. He can hear Victor shift on the floor next to him, and Yuuri doesn’t dare to turn and look, but he’s sure that it he reached out he could probably touch him.

“What are you thinking about?” Victor asks, voice soft as silk. Yuuri’s tired and his mind is spinning, and since the same question has been racing in his mind since that morning run two weeks ago, Yuuri can’t help but ask:

“Why are you doing this?” 

The room falls quiet for a moment, and Yuuri continues to stare up at the ceiling windows. The sky is blue, some stray clouds moving slowly across it. 

“I like it,” Victor answers, just as softly as before, and Yuuri risks to turn and look at him. He’s rolled to his side, blue eyes watching Yuuri intently. He’s so pretty it takes Yuuri’s breath away. He should turn back, try to calm his beating heart instead of falling further into the depths of Victor’s eyes. He doesn’t. Against his better judgment he turns to face him. Victor’s eyes sparkle a little and Yuuri longs to reach out to run his fingers up his cheek. For every day that goes by, with every gaze like this Victor gives him, Yuuri feels himself falling. It’s not admiration, even if Yuuri still admires Victor’s abilities as a dancer. This is much deeper and it’s happening so fast it’s making his head spin.

Victor is so much. He laughs loudly, linking his arm with Yuuri when they’re out of the studio, pointing and smiling like an excited child. He’s attentive and kind, and almost every night he offers to help Yuuri with his ankle training on the occasions Yuuri does it out in the living room. He’s warm in the way he always makes time for Yuuri or others he cares about, but almost has no interest for others. He’s so much a dancer in the way he moves, the respect he has for the dance studio and for Yuuri as they dance together. It’s strange, to have a partner that continues to show himself open for Yuuri’s trust, without demanding it. Yuuri can see it in the way he opens up for Yuuri to lean on Victor, to put his trust in him. He still hasn’t but Yuuri’s been wondering if maybe he should. 

“I like it too,” he says, and Victor’s soft smile widens. He reaches out and Yuuri meets him halfway, linking their hands together. It’s a bit strange to be lying on the floor holding hands, and Yuuri’s not sure what it means, but he knows he wants to. 

It’s almost on impulse when Yuuri decides to trust. It’s so silly, but he’s standing there with his contemporary class, Victor smiling as he wipes his brow after the floor exercises, and decides to try. 

“Okay,” Yuuri calls to get the class' attention. “So today we’re going to try something new. We’re going to do a couples choreography.” 

It’s one he and Phichit made in college. It’s not too hard, no lifts, but it requires a lot of physical contact and some leaning. Yuuri wets his lips a little nervously before he turns to Victor, heart hammering in his chest. If Victor turns him down this entire plan goes up in flames. There’s no way Yuuri’s going to do this with anyone else.

“Victor, would you be my partner?” Yuuri asks and Victor nods, a crimson blush spreading on his cheeks. Yuuri realises what he’s said a little too late and blushes too, even if he can’t take it back in front of the class. 

“Of course,” Victor agrees and step up. The rest of the students pair up after Yuuri’s instruction, and then Yuuri starts to show the choreography. They won't be able to get through all of it today, but Yuuri demonstrates both parts of the couples dance first section. Victor catches on quickly, and as they start the first run through Yuuri feels his heart hammering in his chest. It’s just a simple dip, but it still requires Yuuri to put his entire weight in Victor’s hands. His entire trust. 

“One, two, three, four,” Yuuri counts as he follows Victor’s spin, feeling his arm come around Yuuri’s back. There’s a second of hesitation, where Yuuri looks into Victor’s eyes, panic flaring up in his body. Victor is the picture of calm, and it eases Yuuri’s mind too, as he leans his weight back, arms coming to the side as Victor takes his weight. Yuuri’s feet slide down the floor, pointing to the right of them, leaving only the left in contact with the ground. It’s only for a few counts, and Yuuri manages to keep going as he demonstrates, before Victor pushes him back up, both feet on the floor again. Yuuri’s heart is racing, blood pounding in his ears. Victor’s clearly holding back a smile, and so is Yuuri.

“Okay,” Yurui says with slightly trembling voice. “From the top with music.”

Seven times. Yuuri let Victor carry his entire weight seven times. Not once did Victor’s grip slip or his hands tremble. Not once did Yuuri fear he would drop him. Yuuri feels almost high with it, having a hard time pushing back the joy he’s feeling after the class, the lightness. It stays with him all through the next day and their practice, and Yuuri laughs through it as they dance. Maybe soon he’ll be able to do it in the ballet choreography too. 

They’ve just finished, spent a good four hours in the small studio Yuuri almost considers theirs at this point, when they emerge to find lunch. Yuuri’s confidence is skyrocketing with this and as they descend the stairs he considers grabbing Victor’s hand, just so he can keep him close. He’s just decided to do it when they reach the common area. Victor stops and Yuuri slows down because of it, and then he sees her. 

It’s been two years since Yuuri last saw her, when she listed all the ways he wasn’t good enough for the dance company and showed him the door. She still looks exactly the same, even if her expression is sourer than it was then, brows knitted as she looks straight at Victor. 

Yuuri never thought he’d see Lilia Baranovskya in this studio, but here she is, and with where her focus is, it’s clear who she’s come for. 

  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next week: _ dancing, dancing, dancing's not a crime, unless you do it without me _
> 
> Thank you for reading, please let me know what you think in the comment section or on other platforms like:  
[Tumblr](https://www.tumblr.com/blog/linisen) and [Twitter](https://twitter.com/mjaoue)


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yuuri tries to runaway from dealing with Lilia's arrival. Victor doesn't let him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much to [takeitoffhemmo](https://archiveofourown.org/users/takeitoffhemmo) for the beta <3.

_ One two three four, five six seven eight. One two three four, five six seven eight, again. _ Yuuri pushes, even though his ankle pinches. His feet ache, but it’s a good one, as Yuuri travels the few steps to the side, up on  _ pointé _ , down again, and back. Yuuri’s always loved  _ balancé _ . It’s mindless by now, how he can slide his feet through the movement, his arms coming up and open, and then down again. Yuuri pushes up, higher on his toes, arms more fluid, hips straighter.  _ One two three four, five six seven eight. One two three four, five six seven eight, again. _

The studio is almost dark, only the dim light on as he continues to move with the low music. The sky is dark above him in the ceiling windows, and all the students and other teachers left long ago. Phichit came by about an hour ago informing him they were heading home, and asked Yuuri to not overwork himself. Yuuri had lied and promised he wouldn’t. He keeps seeing Lilia’s piercing green stare, as if her eyes could freeze him in place. In a way it had.  _ One two three four, five six seven eight. One two three four, five six seven eight, again. _

Victor had approached her with a smile, turning to Yuuri as soon as he reached her, to introduce him. Yuuri has stood frozen in the place where he had seen her, and Victor’s brows furrowed in confusion. 

“Yuuri, come and I’ll introduce you to Madam Baranovskya,” Victor said in english, holding out his hand and Yuuri had taken a step forward, tentatively. He hadn’t even reached them before Lilia called Victor’s attention back to her. 

“Vitya, I do not have time to talk to broken dancers,” she snapped in fast Russian, every word a knife in Yuuri’s gut. “I’m here to bring you back to the company and away from this,” she glanced around the common area filled with dancers of all kinds, getting ready for everything from ballet to hip hip or pole. “Circus.” 

“Lilia!” Victor protested, hand still reached out towards Yuuri. Panic started rising in Yuuri’s throat and he ducked out beside them towards the entrance. 

“It’s okay Victor I’ll see you later,” Yuuri said and even if he heard Victor calling out from behind him and even try to follow, Yuuri pushed himself into the narrow streets and away from the studio as fast as he could. He walked around for a long time before he decided to go back and sneak up into the upper studio.  _ One two three four, five six seven eight. One two three four, five six seven eight, again. _

Yuuri looks at his form in the mirror, the arch of his foot in the pointed shoe, the extension of his legs, the alignment of his hips. He’s still feeling the lack of mobility, has for at least an hour. Still Yuuri pushes, harder and harder. He’s not sure who he’s doing it for. Is he trying to prove to himself that he isn’t broken, or that he is?  _ One two three four, five six seven eight. One two three four, five six sene eight, again. _

“I don’t think I’ve ever seen a  _ balancé  _ that pretty,” a now familiar voice cuts in, and Yuuri almost stumbles, stomach dropping in surprise. He’s just lucky he had his weight on his left foot, or maybe Victor waited until he did. 

“My right ankle isn’t—,” Yuuri starts looking over at Victor as he steadies himself, letting the flow of the movement run off of him. Victor’s not in dance wear, jeans and a soft looking shirt covering his frame, no shoes on his feet. 

“It is,” Victor cuts off, stunning Yuuri. Victor’s never coddled him, but he’s never disagreed with him over his injury before either. Then again, Yuuri doesn't talk much about it. “It is strong enough. I’ve been outside watching for three sets of this song, and Phichit said he saw you on  _ pointe  _ when he left you an hour and a half ago.”

“That’s not strong enough to do a performance of two and a half hours,” Yuuri protests. He looks at himself in the mirror, shakes his right foot a little to relieve the tension. 

“I think it is,” Victor disagrees, moving further into the room. “We danced for four hours this morning, and now you’ve been dancing for what? Two, three?”

“This morning wasn’t on  _ pointe  _ though. It’s when I feel it the most,” Yuuri mumbles. He’s not looking at Victor but he can feel him getting closer. And even if Yuuri’s stubborn and has a hard time giving in, he hadn’t even thought about that. Today he’s danced just as much as he did when in college in New York. More than in the Russian dance company. Still. Yuuri broke. He broke the performance, he broke his foot and he broke his confidence. Lilia’s right. Even if he can dance as much as he did, will he ever be able to dance the same?

“You’re not broken, Yuuri,” Victor says as if he knows what Yuuri’s thinking and he’s so close now. Yuuri looks up into the mirror, finding Victor right next to him. He turns his head to look at him fully, finding only adoration in his eyes. Yuuri’s not sure if he loves it or is pained by it. 

“Aren’t I though?” Yuuri asks, voice small and raw. “It’s not like I was a prima before this, and now…” 

“Why didn’t you ever apply to Lilia’s?” Victor asks, and Yuuri sucks in a breath. He desperately wants to lean into Victor and feel his warmth, but he’s not sure if he should. His throat tightens. What does he have to lose to be honest? Victor’s been nothing but truthful with him, does Victor not deserve the same from Yuuri? 

“I did,” Yuuri says and he can see Victor blink in confusion, eyes widening slightly.

“What?”

“She turned me down,” Yuuri confesses looking away from Victor into the mirror, seeing all the flaws the director had pointed out. He squirms and looks away, straight into Victor’s unbelieving eyes. 

“Why?” Victor asks still looking completely in shock over the new information. 

“She had many reasons,” Yuuri says with a bitter laugh and Victor’s jaw tightens. “Neck too stiff, technique unrefined, the weight,” Yuuri lists with a sigh looking back to the mirror. His hand unconsciously moves to his hip, where he knows he’s bigger than almost all other ballerinas. A hand curls around his own and he looks away from his body to Victor’s face in the mirror. He looks sad, and it makes Yuuri’s heart clench. 

“She’s wrong,” Victor protests and Yuuri laughs, turning to fully face him. Victor still looks like it’s him that’s been insulted, pain so clear in his features. It feels strange to have someone care so deeply, Yuuri rarely lets himself witness it. 

“She isn’t wrong,” Yuuri points out, voice no more than a whisper between them. Victor’s hand is still on Yuuri’s hip. Yuuri loves the contact, the warmth. 

“She is,” Victor presses, hand moving up to Yuuri’s neck through a caress up his spine. “You’re never stiff here, only when you’re nervous. And if it was an audition she should know the pressure of that.” Victor’s hand travels down Yuuri’s spine again, slower this time, until it stops on the small of his back. “You’re technique is excellent. It’s not as stiff as her technique but it’s gorgeous.“ Victor’s other hand comes up then moving to cup both of Yuuri’s hips. Yuuri can’t stop looking at his eyes, intent and almost dark. “And these curves are divine, I love them.” 

A shiver runs through Yuuri’s body at the touch and the words and he can’t help but lean in a little to Victor, feeling his heart race in his chest. Victor leans closer too, and then rests his forehead against Yuuri’s, sharing a breath. 

“Dance with me?” Victor asks and Yuuri looks up at him, nodding slowly. There’s only one thing he wants to do more than dance with Victor right now, and he’s not sure he dares to do it. This feels like a good distraction. Victor steps back and Yuuri tries to calm his racing mind as he watches Victor walk over to the speakers. 

“You’re not in dance wear,” Yuuri points out and Victor smiles, a little mischievous, making Yuuri’s heart flip. 

“I thought we might want to try something different, something fun,” Victor says as he’s seemingly looking through a playlist on Yuuri’s phone. “You might want to remove those pretty shoes,” Victor suggests. 

“Ballet is fun,” Yuuri protests and Victor laughs as Yuuri sits down to do as told, untying the laces and pulling the shoes off. His feet feel sore as he wiggles his toes but he stands anyway. 

“Ballet is fun,” Victor agrees as he picks a song and moves over to Yuuri, smile growing as he watches realisation grow on Yuuri’s face. “This is more fun.”

_ Let’s do it, Let’s do it, Let’s do it, if you do it, without me. _

It’s nothing they’ve danced before, but Yuuri knows the song by heart. He’s still not sure what type of dance Victor is planning, but he places both hands in front of Yuuri, arms bent at the elbows and palms up, fingers slightly curled. 

“Just follow me,” Victor instructs, and Yuuri lets out a breath, placing his hands into Victor’s and trusts. 

_ I'm a moon-walker, I'm like MJ up in the clouds, I know it sounds awkward  _ _   
_ _ I'm filthy as charged, filthy as charged _

Victor takes a step forward to Yuuri’s side, and Yuuri mimics, following in close before the step apart. Victor sings along with the lyrics and Yuuri’s heart pounds in his chest, smile spreading on this lips.    
  
_ You're a sweet talker, But darlin' whatcha gonna say now? _ _   
_ _ The midnight marauders, The higher never come down, never come down _

Victor leads them around in a circle, base steps continuing as they move to the music. It’s easy to be lead around the room, and even if they’re definitely dancing something, it’s more like bouncing. 

_ You can't take me anywhere, anywhere, You can't take me anywhere, anywhere _ _   
_ _ I'm still uninvited, I'm still gonna light it, I'm going insane and I don't care _

Victor continues to sing, smiling widely as he lets go of Yuuri’s hand to spin him on lap, continuing his base steps on the spot as Yuuri moves away and then back, falling into step with each other again. 

_ Dancin', dancin' _ _   
_ _ Dancing is not a crime, 'less you do it without me _ _   
_ __ 'Less you do it without me

Victor pulls him close, this time moving his arms to turn Yuuri into an embrace, Yuuri’s arms crossed in front of him before he turns him out again. It’s fun and Yuuri laughs, joy filling him as he follows Victor’s lead in this silly dance.

_ Oh dancin', dancin' _ _   
_ _ Dancing is not a crime, unless you do it _ _   
_ __ Do it, do it, do it do it without me

Yuuri feels Victor’s arms tense as Yuuri comes out before he turns them both, as if preparing for a lift but without leading Yuuri into it. It’s like a warning, like they’re marking through a performance without doing the lifts. The base steps continues after, Victor still slinging and swaying his hips. He looks so happy, and it’s infectious, spreading through Yuuri’s body as well in a tingly sensation of love.

_ And if you're night crawlin', with him, I won't take it lying down _ _   
_ _ I've got a few lawyers, And you're guilty as charged, guilty as charged _ _   
_ _ We could be waltzin', But darlin' don't be throwing shade now _ _   
_ __ Don't call me Saint California if you're at another altar, Just gimme your vows, gimme your vows yeah

The steps goes on repeat, Yuuri notices. As they approach the chorus again, Victor spins him out and Yuuri follows smoothly this time, before coming back to the bouncy base steps.

_ You can't take me anywhere, anywhere, You can't take me anywhere, anywhere _ _   
_ _ I'm still uninvited, I'm still gonna light it, I'm going insane and I don't care _

Victor spins him into his chest, Yuuri pressing his back to it as his arms cross in front of him, turning one lap together. Victor unfolds them twisting Yurui out before bringing him back. 

_ Dancin', dancin', Dancing is not a crime, 'less you do it without me _ _   
_ _ 'Less you do it without me _ _   
_ _ Oh dancin', dancin' _ _   
_ __ Dancing is not a crime, unless you do it

Yuuri doesn’t think. It's like his body is moving in instinct as Victor’s arms tenses, Yuuri leaning his weight over into them and tensing his own. Yuuri’s feet leaves the ground as Victor spins them effortlessly, one lap, then two, before he slows and Yuuri places his feet back on the ground, falling into the base steps again. 

_ Do it, do it, do it, do it, do it, without me _

Realisation seems to dawn on the both of them as they continue to move, Victor’s expression moving from shocked, to unbelieving, to thrilled in a matter of seconds. Something extremely vulnerable and raw crosses his face next and Yuuri’s mind is racing because he just let Victor lift him. They didn’t even discuss it first and Yuuri just placed his trust in his hands because it feels so right. Everything with Victor just feels so right. Yuuri breaks into a smile, slowing his movements as Victor does the same.

_ Boo ooh ooh what's come over you, Babe just tell me now _ _   
_ _ Ooh ooh ooh let me make that move _

Yuuri’s not sure who moves first, all he knows is that his arms wrap around Victor’s neck and he goes up on his toes, Victor’s hands finding his waist as he leans down.

_ 'Cause I just wanna be, Your boyfriend, girlfriend oh yeah, I just wanna be Your boyfriend, girlfriend oh yeah, Oh yeah _

The first press of lips is chapped but soft, but it’s as if they both just needed to know they would be there, wanted it too, for it to turn desperate. Yuuri pushes harder up as Victor’s grip tightens. Yuuri’s fingers run up into Victor’s short hair at the back of his neck and soon he finds his feet leaving the floor again, Victor lifting him as they continue to kiss. 

_ Dancin', dancin', Dancing is not a crime, 'less you do it without me _ _   
_ _ 'Less you do it without me _

Yuuri wraps his legs around Victor’s waist, the other man’s hands coming to support him under his thighs. Yuuri’s heart is pounding, blood rushing from the exhilaration of the lift and his feelings and Victor kissing him like he might stop breathing if he doesn’t. 

_ Oh dancin', dancin', Dancing is not a crime, unless you do it _ _   
_ _ Do it, do it, do it, do it, do it, without me _

They kiss and kiss and kiss, until Yuuri’s heart stops hammering like he’s run a marathon, Victor the only anchor in the storm of his mind. When they part Victor looks ecstatic, and Yuuri has to kiss him again as Victor carefully places him on the ground, kisses turning softer, hands cupping Yuuri’s cheeks.   
“Wow,” Victor breathes against Yuuri’s lips, eyes sparkling with joy. “I got everything I ever wanted tonight.”    
Yuuri can feel himself blushing fiercely, pushing forward to hide in the crook of Victor’s neck to hide his embarrassment. His heart feels like it’s beating irregularly with how hard it pounds. “What do you mean by that?” Yuuri asks, trying to make sense of Victor’s words.    
“I’m so in love with you, Yuuri,” Victor whispers against his hair, hands holding Yuuri’s waist tight. “I wanted to kiss you for so long.”    
Yuuri presses himself from Victor’s neck so he can kiss him again, softly and full of emotions, pouring all he’s feeling into the press of lips. Victor hums and then smiles and when Yuuri pulls back he smiles too. Victor looks beautiful, lips kiss swollen and a deep pink blush coloring his cheeks. His eyes are searching for Yuuri’s face, and he doesn’t seem to find it.   
“You let me lift you,” Victor says, a bit breathless. Yuuri nods, holding him so tight to try to ground himself so not to float away.    
“It felt right,” is all Yuuri can say. His mind is still a jumble, but it seems to be enough for Victor who smiles a smile softer than any Yuuri’s ever seen, eyes a little watery.    
“Thank you.” 

They manage to make their way home, grabbing some baguettes on the way. It’s late, and as they quietly make their way into the apartment they notice that Phichit and Chris have already gone to bed. Victor showers first, and when they trade Yuuri stands there as he tries to make sense of what just happened. He let Victor lift him, and it had gone okay. More than okay. Great even. It felt amazing, and Yuuri can still feel his fingers tingle with excitement from just the thought of it. Then he kissed Victor, a lot. And Victor had kissed him back and said he’s in love with Yuuri and…It’s almost too much. This entire day has been an emotional roller coaster with the joy he felt this morning, the panic from seeing Lilia and the pain from her words, until dancing tonight. 

Yuuri dries himself quickly, pulling on pajamas before he steps through the apartment towards his guest room. He stops at the sight of Victor’s door being slightly open, a soft light shining from inside it. Yuuri shouldn’t. He should go back to his own bed and let all his emotions land before he stirs them up even more. 

He doesn’t. 

He carefully pushes the door open, glancing inside. Victor is lying in bed and as Yuuri opens the door he looks up at him, lips turning into a soft smile. Yuuri doesn't know what to say. Panic starts rising in his system and he’s just about to turn when Victor scoots back on his side, making room for one more.

“Stay?” Victor asks, and his voice is what draws Yuuri in, stepping through the door fully and closing it behind him. He takes a few steps across the floor quickly, crawling under the covers as Victor holds them up for him. It’s warm and soft, and Yuuri disposes his glasses on the nightstand before he snuggles down, trying not to think too much about the fact that Victor’s only in his underwear. That’s not what Yuuri came for. He wants to be close to Victor, that's all. 

“Hey pretty boy,” Victor says, a hand cupping Yuuri’s cheek. The contact makes Yuuri scoot closer, one hand wrapping around Victor’s hip, the other landing on his chest. Victor smiles as soon as Yuuri touches him, and it fills Yuuri’s stomach with butterflies. 

“Hi,” Yurui answers. Something’s been nagging on his mind during the shower, and he feels like he should ask so he knows, even if it might break his heart. “Are you leaving?”

Victor’s expression turns from soft to confused, brows furrowing and nose scrunching up. It’s very cute. 

“Why would I?” he asks, thumb caressing Yuuri’s cheek bone. It feels nice, and Yuuri’s eyes fall shut under it, taking deep breaths.

“Lilia,” Yuuri states. It’s hard to find words with Victor touching him, and Yuuri’s fighting the urge to kiss him very hard for the sake of getting answers. Lilia came here and then after meeting her Victor said he’d gotten everything he’d wanted. Admittedly a lot of other things happened between his meeting with Lilia and when he said it, but Yuuri needs to know how limited his time with Victor is. 

“No, never.” 

Yuuri’s eyes flutter open to look at him, all gorgeous blue eyes and pink lips, and is immediately filled with warmth. 

“If she doesn’t see the potential in you I see no reason to dance for her. Dancing with you gives me so much joy, Yuuri. More than I’ve felt in years. But it’s more than that. Just being around you makes me happy. I would never give that up to go back and dance for Lilia.” 

Yuuri can feel tears burning in his eyes as he closes them, leaning up to press his lips against Victor’s, echoing the words Victor said to him in the dance studio.

“Thank you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> KISSING!  
I swear that dancing scene's where one of the first ones I thought of for this AU and I'm so happy to finally share it. I hope you enjoyed. The song is "Dancing's not a Crime - Panic! at the Disco"
> 
> Next week: final chapter with smut, a performance and so much emotions. 
> 
> Thank you for reading, please let me know what you think in the comment section or on other platforms like:  
[Tumblr](https://www.tumblr.com/blog/linisen) and [Twitter](https://twitter.com/mjaoue)


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “How do you feel?” Victor asks and Yuuri smiles, squeezing Victor’s hand as he answers.
> 
> “Ready.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the final chapter for this story. I've had such a blast creating it, and I'm so glad you've all wanted to come along for this ride. As always, a huge thank you to [takeitoffhemmo](https://archiveofourown.org/users/takeitoffhemmo) for the help with beta. I know I swamp you, and I'm endlessly grateful for your help. It means the world.

Waking up next to Yuuri is one of Victor’s favorite things, alongside morning kisses, getting up with him, making breakfast together, trading kisses in the kitchen. It’s up there with walking together to the dance studio, and heading up to the studio on the second floor. It’s on equal ground with warming up together on the barre, side by side. It’s just as lovely as Yuuri laughing as Victor chases him around the studio, eating lunch together or watching Yuuri teach. It’s just as amazing as walking back home, watching movies and playing video games, do evening stretches and crawl into bed, Yuuri tucking himself under Victor’s chin or snuggling close to his back. Victor loves all of it. Adores getting to wake, spend and end every day with the man he’s in love with. 

Another thing Victor adores is how much Yuuri trusts him. Whole heartedly leaving his body in Victor’s hands, as he pushes off the floor, Victor taking his weight as they dance. Victor becomes almost breathless when he thinks about it. Yuuri gives this to no one else, Victor is the only one who’s earned this trust. Victor smiles as he watches Yuuri doze, thinking about last night's practice and how they had both danced until they where breathless and muscles aching. He reaches out to push some of Yuuri’s hair out of his face, and Yuuri furrows his brows for a second before relaxing again. Victor’s heart aches and he smiles to himself as he wraps his arms around Yuuri’s waist to pull him close, breathe in his smell and his warmth and just be. 

It’s been six months since Victor stepped into that dance studio where Yuuri was dancing the choreography Victor had created a few years ago, bringing a sense of movement Victor never felt he and Diana could bring into it. He’d known right away that he’d made the right choice. He just needed to make Yuuri give him a chance and he’d been very tentatively hoping they would end up just where they are now. 

It had taken far longer than Victor expected to get close to Yuuri. The other dancer could be so open and positive one day, to shy away and stare in front of him as if the world was weighing on his shoulders on others. It had taken all of Victor’s patience with himself to not push. To let Yuuri take the time he needed. That night in the dance studio where Yuuri trusted him had all been worth it. Victor had never felt more revered than he did in that moment Yuuri’s feet left the ground. 

The work didn't stop there of course. It took another month before Yuuri had fully trusted Victor’s grip, and even now he sometimes freezes mid dance right before a lift, fingers trembling. It’s not easy, but they’re working through it together, in their own Parisian bubble.

Yuuri stirs next to him, and Victor leans down to press his lips against Yuuri’s jaw, down to his throat. Yuuri hums contently, clearly still half asleep. Yuuri is always so warm in the morning and since Victor had gotten rid of his normal sleep wear the night before, he’s blissfully bare under the sheets. Victor lets his hands roam down Yuuri’s body, down the hard plains of his chest and stomach, letting them caress down Yuuri’s hips as he continues to kiss Yuuri’s throat, suck deep red marks into the skin. A soft moan leaves Yuuri’s throat and Victor smiles against his skin as he feels Yuuri’s hands wrap around his neck, pressing him firmly into his throat. Victor complies, continuing to kiss and suck at Yuuri's neck, scrape his teeth against sensitive flesh as Yuuri’s breath hitches. Victor lets his hands continue down, one hand moving to cup Yuuri’s gorgeous ass. 

“Vitya,” Yuuri breathes, rolling his hips against Victor’s stomach. He’s already hard and Victor smiles as he shifts upwards on the bed, pressing his lips against Yuuri’s. 

“Morning love,” he breathes, and Yuuri grabs him tighter, bringing their lips together in a wet, open mouth kiss. Kissing Yuuri is also one of Victor’s favourite things, how they’re always filled with emotions, regardless of if they’re soft and gentle, or bruisingly consuming like now. Yuuri takes as he kisses and Victor gives, rolling them over until he has Yuuri underneath him, elbows boxing him him. Yuuri’s hands move slowly down his chest, movements sleepy and uncoordinated. Victor smiles into the kiss, pushing up so he can look at him. 

“Come back down,” Yuuri sighs and Victor leans down to kiss his nose, Yuuri pouting when Victor rises again. “Vityaaa,” Yuuri complaints. 

“Sorry. I just want to look at my hot boyfriend for a bit,” Victor teases, rolling his hips into Yuuri’s groin, his legs open on either side of Victor’s. Yuuri gasps, gorgeous brown eyes opening slowly to look up at him. Yuuri licks his lips slowly and Victor traces the movement, smile spreading across his face.

Yuuri looks absolutely delicious like this, spread out underneath him with his dark hair like a halo on the white pillow. His lips are wet from the kissing, cheeks painted pink and eyes dark. His throat and clavicles are covered in hickeys, old and new, as well as a few bites. Yuuri’s growing impatient, wrapping his legs around Victor’s hips to pull him back down. Victor smiles as he follows willingly down, lips enveloping Yuuri’s upper one. Yuuri moans as Victor’s naked cock caresses his own, rocking his hips up. 

“Yuuri,” Victor breath as Yuuri moans again, breathy and sleepy. Victor’s hands travel down, caressing Yuuri’s soft skin. They don’t have a lot of time, they need to get up and get ready soon. Victor should have woken Yuuri earlier but he has such a hard time doing that with his boyfriend looking so soft when he sleeps. His hand wraps around Yuuri’s cock, pumping slowly up, feeling Yuuri gasp against his lips. 

“What do you want Yuuri?” Victor asks and Yuuri moans again as Victor continues to pump his cock teasingly slow, feeling Yuuri rock into his hand, trying to get him to speed up. 

“Fuck me,” Yuuri breathes, and Victor smiles, deepening the kiss once more as his hand lets go of Yuuri’s cock. Yuuri lets out a soft whine, but Victor only kisses him deeper, licking into his mouth. 

He pushes off, reaching for the bottle of lube that’s standing on the nightstand, settling between Yuuri’s thighs again. He opens the bottle to slick up his fingers, leaning on one elbow by Yuuri’s head as he resumes the kiss, his other hand circling Yuuri’s entrance. Yuuri rocks into the touch, handing keeping him steady by gripping Victor’s hips. Victor moans, his cock rubbing at Yuuri’s stomach where it’s resting, as he pushes one finger in. Yuuri gasps, head thrown back. Victor smiles as he watches Yuuri’s blush deepen. He loves seeing Yuuri wither underneath him, come apart under his touch. Yuuri’s hand wraps around Victor’s cock, and it’s Victor's turn to moan now, rocking his hips in time with his finger.

“Another,” Yuuri demands, and Victor complies, fucking Yuuri on his fingers as he searches for that sweet spot inside him. 

“Vitya,” Yuuri breathes loudly, rocking his hips to keep Victor’s fingers caressing that one spot. It’s so incredibly sexy Victor has to bite his own lip, leaning down to suck another mark into Yuuri’s throat. He continues to stretch Yuuri until they’re both breathless and panting, kisses sloppy. 

“I’m ready,” Yuuri says as he starts pushing at Victor’s hand. “I want you inside me.”

“Whatever you want,” Victor agrees, rising a little to coat his cock with lube before he repositions himself, pushing into Yuuri’s waiting heat. 

“Yesss,” Yuuri moans as Victor fills him, and Victor moans loudly too, Yuuri clenching him so tight. 

“Yuuri, fuck.”   
“So good,” Yuuri agrees as Victor continues to fill him, rocking his hips to take more. “So fucking good Vitya.”

Victor sits up and pulls him into his lap, so only Yuuri’s shoulder blades are resting against the bed. He rocks back slightly and then snaps his hips into Yuuri, making the other man gasp. Victor repeats it, antagonising slow out, snapping in. Yuuri gasps and moans, Victor’s name falling off his lips like a prayer. 

“Kiss me,” Yuuri demands and Victor leans down to do so, lips pressing together in wet open mouth kisses as Victor rocks shallowly into Yuuri, making them both whimper. Yuuri’s arms wrap tightly around Victor’s shoulder, and as he starts to sit up against Yuuri follows, until he’s straddling Victor’s lap. Victor spreads his legs wide, and gets the lovely view of Yuuri starting to bounce on his lap. He wraps one of his hands around Yuuri’s cock, letting Yuuri’s movement guide him as he pumps his cock. His other hand wraps around Yuuri’s hip and then he just watches as pleasure all but consumes him while Yuuri rides him. 

It’s Yuuri that comes first, seizing his movements in Victor’s lap as he trembles. Victor’s been holding on by the skin of his teeth and as soon as Yuuri clenches tight around him he falls over too, rocking into Yuuri’s heat as he empties. 

Yuuri slumps against him and together they simply breathe, chests heaving as they come down from the high, sticky with sweat and come. Only when Victor’s legs start to fall asleep do they start to detangle, after a few kisses. 

“Shower together before the airport?” Yuuri asks with a loving smile and Victor leans down to peck at his cheek just because he’s so adorable.

“Yes, please.” 

This had been a slowly growing idea. Initially Victor wasn’t sure about it, but after Phichit and Chris had suggested it Victor had seen determination grow in Yuuri, and truly, Victor has no qualms about showing Yuuri off in all his dancing glory. His hesitation had been if it was too soon, and too big. There is a big difference in dancing in a studio with no one watching, or just a few, opposed to millions. Victor glances at his love from where they’re standing together in the wings of the stage, trying to calm his racing heart. 

The stylist slicked his hair back, but let a few strands fall down his forehead, making him look softer than his usual performance look. He’s in a pair of black dance shorts and tight black t-shirt with a high collar. The makeup department had done an excellent job in hiding all of Yuuri’s hickeys, which Victor feels is a damn shame. He wants the entire world to know that Yuuri is his. Victor’s hair is softly styled, chest bare and in a pair of loose black pants. Dressed to match. He squeezes Yuuri’s hand and Yuuri looks away from the stage up to Victor, eyes warm and determined. Victor loves that look. 

“How do you feel?” Victor asks and Yuuri smiles, squeezing Victor’s hand as he answers.

“Ready.”

Victor’s heart hammers in his chest. He knows they’re ready. All the stage rehearsals have been amazing, and Victor trusts Yuuri, and above all he trusts Yuuri to trust him, to rely on him. This will never work otherwise. 

“I love you,” Victor says and Yuuri smiles, pushing up on his toes to peck at Victor’s lips, just as the host of the largest dance competition in the world introduces them as the invited guests for this evening. The crowd explodes in cheers, and as the stage lights fall they take position. They’ve decided to do a contemporary choreography for their first real performance. Even if they’re both ballet dancers at heart, it’s been helpful to not be as constricted by rules as they've created. Victor knows they’ll do many ballet performances in the future together, but this is about something else. This is about them and their story. 

Yuuri stands in front of him as the music starts, back pressed to Victor’s chest, facing the crowd. Victor’s hands wrap around him from behind, one on his stomach and the other over his heart, Yuuri’s own resting over his. Yuuri takes a deep breath and Victor follows.

_ Darling, for you, I'll be afraid of nothing _

_ Win or lose,I'll never leave when you're calling _

Yuuri moves alone at first. His right hand leaves Victor’s to move as a wave towards the crowd, the left one following as the right moves to the side next, making it look as he’s spreading his wings before he places them over Victor’s hands again. 

_ Travel far and wide, Oh I'll embrace the tide _

_ With you, I'm alive _

Victor moves with him next, right hands moving in tandem as a wave towards the crowd and then out to the sides as they both take a deep breath as they look up when they spread their arms. Victor takes a step to the left then, kneeling on one knee as Yuuri’s left hand drops.

_ I hear you calling out, For me, When I am lost, On broken streets _

_ Never falling down, When you speak _

Victor kisses Yuuri’s palm, as Yuuri tilts his body and unfolds his leg up toward the ceiling, right hand following. Victor smiles as he catches Yuuri’s eye. Yuuri folds his leg half way down and Victor rises, wrapping his arms around his waist.

_ Until we meet again and see, I hear you calling out for me _

_ Calling out, calling out for… Calling out, calling out for... _

_ Calling out, calling out for… _

Victor pulls Yuuri’s back to his chest, Yuuri leaning his weight on him as Victor pulls him three steps across the floor. Yuuri’s right leg comes down and Victor spins him in his grip, Yuuri following beautifully. 

_ Darling, with you, I know that it's all or nothing, When the waves start crashing down, _

_ In one moment, I'll come running _

Yuuri leans back into a dip, leaning over Victor’s right leg and with the support of his left hand. This was the first pair move that required trust that they ever did, and Victor loves it, as Yuuri’s arms spread at his sides back arched as his left leg points back. 

_ You don't have to hide, Oh I'll be at your side _

_ For you I'll survive _

They both jump, landing on one leg to roll to the floor, before rising again into an arabesque turning into a pirouette. Yuuri does another jump to the left and Victor to the right, and then Victor stops. This is it. 

_ I hear you calling out, For me _

_ When I am lost, On broken streets _

Yuuri takes the three running steps towards Victor and then lunges halfway across the stage. Victor’s heart always stops for a second as Yuuri flies, right into his arms. 

_ Never falling down, When you speak _

_ Until we meet again and see,  _ _ I hear you calling out for me _

The crowd erupts in cheers, but Victor barely hear it as he throws Yuuri up over his shoulder and then down, only to lift him to the side again, Yuuri spreading his legs in a split. The music slows and so does their movements. 

_ Calling out, calling out for…, Calling out, calling out for... _

_ Calling out, calling out for… _

Victor brings Yuuri down to his waist, legs wrapping around it as Victor's hands come to support him under his thighs. Yuuri leans down in one last arch, before he presses up against to press his lips firmly against Victor’s, smiling into the kiss. 

_ I hear you calling out for me, I hear you calling out for me _

_ I hear you calling out for me, I hear you calling out for me _

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> THE END
> 
> Thank you for reading, please let me know what you think in the comment section or on other platforms like:  
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